Hallways
by nonhipsterish
Summary: (AKA the time I couldn't find an appropriate title and then it came to me in a Starbucks) Previously titled Slowly Fading. Important decisions are made in hallways. Forwards or back, left or right, kiss him or don't kiss him. Wait, one of these is not like the others
1. Chapter 1

Your name is Dirk Strider and it sucked being a total and utter nobody. But it wasn't like there was a course on 'how to be popular in a week or less'. You'd join it for completely ironic purposes, obviously. The fact that wasn't _at all _helpful was your idiot brother, Dave, had been caught making out with his boyfriend in a bathroom stall. Which just so happened to be in the middle of fucking Texas. Yes, the Bible-worshipping one. So now all these little brainwashed kids were all over you as if they were doctors and you had just contracted some god awful disease. You were straight; so straight that a stripper could dance his- her! Her little ass off. So totally straight.

Currently, your orange, yes orange it's not that weird, eyes were scanning the non-air conditioned classroom from your spot all the way in the back. You ran a pale hand through even paler hair as teacher, what's-her-name-something-with-an-l-and-obsessed-with-cats, droned on and on about some war where cats were used as messengers and something's telling you that's bullshit.

When the bell finally rang after 30 terribly long minutes had passed, you attempted to get the fuck out of there because there was no way in hell you were staying in there longer than required. Apparently though, life had it out for you because right when you turned around, you got a face full of green fabric. Biting back several swears, your eyes shifted upwards to look at the quickly apologizing figure.

_Holy fuck he was tall._

"Sorry chap." He said with a slight tilt of the head. What kind of a fucking accent was that? English, definitely, Australian maybe? The brightest green eyes you had ever seen peered down at you through un-brushed brown hair, silently goading you to reply. So you did, by nodding your head. Well it's not like you had ever said you were good at communicating. Without another minute passing you slid past him and into the crowded hallways.

Keeping silent, you walked to your locker and attempted to open it without messing up on the combination. Once you did, you rested your head on the cool metal, not even bothering to put away or get out any books. That is, until a hand landed on your left shoulder. You spun around to find the bright pink eyes of your only (and therefore best) friend, Roxy Lalonde.

"Hey Dirky…" The semi-sober girl slurred, winking a makeup coated eye. A small smirk worked its way onto your placid face, causing her to burst into laughter as if you had said something hilarious and reached up to poke your cheeks. You pushed the hand away.

"Yeah, don't touch me." You murmured as your back turned to her. Quickly, you grabbed a mountain of books and nearly tumbled under its weight but Striders don't fall. Nope, they certainly don't do that. You slowly closed the locker before turning around again to face Roxy. She beamed up at you, eyes bright as she began dragging you down the crowded hall.

By the time you got to the class, the rather loud and annoying bell rang out, marking the two of you late. You groaned quietly under your breath as Ms. Serket all but spit at you before directing you to get in your seats. You carefully pulled your phone from its hiding place in your back pocket to see 10 bright red messages flashing on the digital screen.

**TG: dude**

**TG: have you seen egbert**

**TG: cmon answer me **

**TG: are you two fucking pranking me**

**TG: i cant find him**

**TG: fuck fuck fuck**

**TG: answer me already**

**TG: shit**

**TG: shit dude im freaking out**

**TG: fuck cmon cmon cmon**

You sighed and stuffed the device back into your pocket, ignoring any other vibrations. The kid was probably, no most likely, just sick. When Dave burst into your classroom, you were prepared to punch him in the face. Given another look, his dark shades were shoved on the top of his head, red eyes wild and exposed. Once again ignoring the rest of the classes' stares and Serkets piercing voice, he marched right over to you, grabbing your arm and dragging you out into the hallway. Without the distraction of the loud room, you carefully searched his face before attempting to pull your arm away from your younger bros iron grip.

"He's fine." You assured, only receiving a quick headshake in response. "You know how John gets sometimes, he probably didn't want to come today."

Dave began rapidly signing a response before he caught himself and starting to speak. "He would have texted, c-came over. H-his dad d…doesn't know where he is…where he went. Said he left i-in the morning." He hiccupped and ran a shaking hand through his white-blond hair. This led you to gently move an arm around his shaking body, discomfort filling what was supposed to be comforting. Okay, you didn't hug people, ever and holy shit it was quite obvious. This nervously put together embrace broke apart as the same weird accented dude from earlier came bounding, yes bounding, up to you.

"Uhm, if it wouldn't be too troubling," there was that fucking accent again, "could one of you kindly direct me to the main office, or somewhere I could place a call?" By the time you had opened your mouth, Dave had already resumed gripping your arm and proceeding to drag you down the tile and metal halls. As you looked back, the boy was already becoming a blurry, dark smudge, although you suspected that his eyebrow was still raised in question.

You allowed your brother to drag you to the heavy wooden doors, watching him as the final obstacle loomed over your blond heads. Once again, you attempted to pull your arm back, and as expected, he tightened his fucking grip. God damn he was strong when he wanted to be. You leveled yet another Strider glare at him, noticing then that he was actively ignoring you. Little shit.

Quickly, he pushed open the door and slipped out of the brick school building; you (of course) were following close behind. Silent tears trickled down his stoic face, slowly moving from under his aviators. He called out his boyfriends name multiple times, each increasing in volume. Brief moments passed until you picked up on short, ragged breaths coming from behind you. Gently, you set your hand on Dave's arm, flicking your head towards the dumpsters. He quickly rushed over to the large box in question, hands frantically trying to move it out of the way. You, in turn, stepped beside your panicking bro and started pushing it forward.

"What the fuck are you doing?! John could…he could be…" He trailed off to level a glare at you with darkened red eyes. Instead of responding properly, you continued to push the dumpster until it was a sufficient distance away from the small shaking boy hidden behind it. Like the suave motherfucker you were, you pointed at him and stepped back just as Dave sprinted the short distance between himself and the bloodied boy, instantly pulling him up in your arms. "John?"

Dull blue eyes turned upwards to look at his boyfriend, a weak grin already forming on his pale, pale face.


	2. Chapter 2

== Be the bloody guy

Your name is John Egbert and holy shit bullet hurt. But let's learn a little more about you, shall we? You were mute. Ever since you were born, and every day since. You also wore thick glasses, therefore marking you as the largest nerd in this entire school. With the clear evidence of your boyfriend, Dave 'Motherfucking' Strider, you weren't the straightest guy. Back to the present though, as important events were unfolding. There will be more to learn about you at a later time.

Currently, your hands were moving at…well they weren't moving. You couldn't feel them, your back was pressed rather uncomfortably against Dave's chest. Dark red blood, nearly the color of his eyes yet not quite, bubbled up from all three wounds in your own chest. His lips were moving, but you couldn't hear a single word. Your head tilted up slowly to watch your blubbering blob of a boyfriend. You attempted to decipher what he was saying but you were just…just so tired. _Only a few minutes _you wanted to assure him, darkness tinting your vision as if you were wearing Dave's shades. Another grin wormed its way onto your lips and you slowly slid into the welcoming arms of darkness.

== Be the bloody guys' boyfriend

Your name is Dave Strider and holy shit this wasn't happening. Holy shit nonono why were his eyes closed nope nope nope definitely not. You just wanted to curl up in a little hole, rocking yourself slowly because holy motherfucking shit why did this have to happen? Gently, or as gently as you could while cradling John against your chest, you peeled off your hoodie and pressed it against the bloody mess that was his chest.

But then he was getting taken away. What no give him back, Dirk you shithead give him back you're going to hurt him. You heard someone sob and you're pretty sure it was coming from you. What no, you weren't crying because Striders didn't cry. Your piece of shit brother holding all that mattered to you and why his head was like that and why wasn't his body moving and oh god this wasn't supposed to be happening, they weren't supposed to go after him. They weren't supposed to touch him fuck fuck fuck.

Blue and red flashes filled your vision and a small bloodied hand shifted in front of your vision and no you weren't crying. _Striders didn't cry._

A hand landed on your shoulder, causing you to jump in a way that you would never admit. You turned to glare at whoever it was, only to be grabbed and pulled off the ambulance platform. You fought and fought against the unseen person. Rushed words past by but you weren't paying attention because then the ambulance was pulling out of the spot, driving away and arms were wrapped tightly around you and you… couldn't… breathe.

== Be the bloody guy again

Error not available.

== Alright, be the anime shades guy again.

Error not available.

== OH MY FUCKING GOD

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

== Be the guy with the weird accent.

Finally! Not that you were waiting for this or anything. Your name is Jake English and it's about bloody time you got an introduction. Currently you were standing in a hospital next to your uncle and two blond chaps, the ones you had seen earlier in the high school, sitting in various spots around you. Now, it may not seem like it, but you were panicking. Your hands were shaking, foot tapping rapidly on the ground. A gloved hand landed on your arm, causing you to jump a little as you looked up. Eyes covered with strange triangular lenses scanned you, or at least you assumed they did. You attempted to move away from the touch because it was starting to get uncomfortable when gentle arms wrapped around you.

"O-oh! U…um." You stammered because (a) you didn't know this person, and (b) this was a hug, an actual hug. When the awkward embrace ended, you could feel your cheeks burning with a blush, only receiving the smallest of smirks in response. "Who…who are…what's your name?"

"Dirk, Dirk Strider." A voice with just a brush of a Texan accent replied, one hand reaching out to yours. Hesitantly, you put your own in his and shook it twice before letting go once more.

"Jake English." You smiled a little as he nodded, moving back to his seat with who you could assume was his younger brother.

A high pitched squeal followed by a quiet shush interrupted your thoughts, a blur of bright green and dark hair flinging itself into your arms. Gingerly, you wrapped them around the shaking figure that was your younger sister, Jade Harley.

You situated yourself in the hard plastic chair as the other figure, her best friend Rose Lalonde, sat beside the two silent Striders. Quiet questions drifted up to your ears, causing you to sputter out a response. Careful eyes watched the unmoving swinging doors, the silence only broken by the labored breath of…well everyone.

When the doctor came in, what seemed like hours had already passed. The youngest Strider sprung to his feet and knocking his sunglasses across the room; your eyes widened at the hollow clatter, pulling yourself to your feet alongside Dirk. Connecting your gazes, you stepped forward as the doctor began leading the shaking boy down the hall.

== Be Dave

Well fuck. So there you were with a dying boyfriend, an idiot bro, and a stuttering mess of a strange British dude. Your hand was wrapped tightly around your passed out loser of a boyfriend, eyes squeezed shut. He's just sleeping, he's just sleeping, he's just fucking sleeping. You shakily brushed hair from his closed eyes, swallowing hard. Oh fuck why does this always happen to you?

Carefully removing your hand from his, you stepped away and closer to the budding relationship between your bro and John's…cousin? Dirks gaze flitted over to you with a raised pale blond brow, watching your slow approach. A silent conversation passed between you two, full of small smirks and hand motions. With a satisfied noise, he and Jake quietly stepped out of the stark white hospital room. Slowly, in a way that you would never do if he was awake, you crawled into the bed and wrapped, yes wrapped, yourself around your boyfriend. Because you, Dave Strider, was a total loser and needed your fellow loser boyfriend. Hands clenched tightly around Johns shirt, you buried your face against his shoulder. "You're such a little shit, you know that?"

Faint noises answered which, of course, caused you to straighten up. Gently, so very gently, you shook him. More noises. "Holy fuck…"

Your eyes widened considerably as your hand struggled to find Johns. Carefully, you traced the hollow of his pale cheeks and across his lips. Oh fuck why did everything shitty have to happen to him, this wasn't supposed to happen, they weren't supposed to even look at him because they knew, oh they fucking knew, that you would kick their asses. Dark lashes fluttered at faint kisses pressed to his brow, causing the smallest of smiles to spread across your face.

"John…" You whispered softly, blue flashing under black, lips parting to reveal large buckteeth. When his eyes finally, _finally, _opened, you nearly screamed. Quickly enveloping your boyfriend in your arms, you kissed across his entire face. _Holy shit don't scare me like that again you shithead. Fuck fuck fuck. _Your eyes squeezed shut tightly to show that no, you weren't crying, you weren't shaking what the fuck nope. Soon you felt a hand running through your hair, smoothing down your spine and resting on your hips. "Shithead."

John laughed his cute little soundless laugh, causing you to curse the day that someone dared to try and take away from you. Your body curled around his again, moving to cradle his in an effort to keep him close. Pale hands tightened around yours as if to sooth your practically fried nerves. As raven black hair brushed against your trembling chin, you allowed yourself to relax, if only a little bit. He's real, this is happening. A faint touch trailed across your cheeks, noting the definite wet trails on them. Carefully, very fucking carefully, you brought him tighter against your chest.


	3. Chapter 3

== Be John

Well, here you are again. Wrapped up in your usually not cozy yet surprisingly cozy boyfriends arms. He watched as your hands slowly moved to sign a tentative, yet simple 'sup'. He looked as if he would burst into laughter before running a hand your hair.

"Oh nothing, just been sitting here, worried because, oh right, you're here." This time he did laugh quietly, barely loud enough to count as a real laugh though. You frowned and made a vain attempt to roll as far away from him as you could.

_Tell me what's really wrong. _Okay, where were your glasses when you needed them? You must've been squinting pretty badly because Dave cracked a grin and slowly moved closer. In turn, you nearly fell off the bed which just caused him to laugh (actually laugh) and wrap his arms around your waist. _Seriously Dave! Tell me what's wrong!_

"I don't know, but it may have something to do with the fact that my boyfriend is in the hospital and that freaks me out a bit." He rolled his eyes behind his dark shades, leaning into your touch with very little resistance.

_It's okay…_ You signed as a weak smile curled onto your cheeks. As the smile widened, you reached down and played with the hem of his shirt, slipping into the fabric to rest at the base of his spine. _It's fine. _You spelled out against his skin, kissing his cheek before resting your head on his shoulder, closing your eyes.

When you wake up, what seems like days had passed, although it was most likely only a few hours. You sat up and stretched your arms above your head, wincing a bit before settling back against- holy shit you were alone. You squinted as if it had just appeared that way without your glasses on. But nope, Dave was definitely gone. A small sigh escaped you as you shifted painfully onto your side, chewing on your lower lip. Where the hell was he?

You attempted to look around, though once again, no one was with you. It's not like you could see anyways, without your glasses you couldn't see a damn thing. Where the _fuck _were your…oh. They were on the table next to you. With shaking hands you put them on, and instantly the world became clearer like in one of those allergy commercials. You slowly began to stand up, until it felt like your chest would burst into flames because man your chest hurt. After much stumbling, you managed to right yourself. When did walking get so hard? So many questions so little time. You began walking into the hallway, dragging the IV pole that so insistently followed you. Sigh.

As you moved through the crowded hospital hallways, silently peaking around corners for your disappearing act of a boyfriend. You found Rose and not-girlfriend-but-so-totally-were-girlfriends Kanaya. Unless all girls had little make-out sessions in their living room. You waved cheerfully at the pair even as Rose's eyebrow slowly rose (haha get it, you're hilarious and no one wants to admit it). She reached behind her in order to dig through her messy ass bag. How did everyone at school think she was organized? With a silent noise of impatience, okay well there was no noise since your vocal chords didn't work at all, you turned to Kanaya, beginning to sign rapidly, _Where's Dave? _

She laughed, a crisp yet soft sound, flicking her bright green eyes over your messy and tangled hair with a disproving gaze. "I believe his older brother made him go to school."

Just as she said this, Rose finally pulled whatever she was looking for from her bag. "Here's your homework, John."

With another silent sigh, you took it and nodded.

== Be the annoyed anime shades guy

You were going to murder Dave. Did your bro seriously think that you were going to be perfectly fine with him beating up three kids? Just wait until Bro found out. Though, it was more likely that he would give the idiot a high five and tell him he did a good job. That bastard.

As of now, you were sitting in the main office, glaring at the door that you knew Dave was on the opposite side of. Holy fuck you were going to kill him. Wipe that smug smirk off his face. Your fists clenched at your sides silently as you continued to watch the door.

Five minutes passed before he exited the room and you already had him pinned against the wall. "What the absolute _fuck _were you thinking?" You practically snarled, leaning close up to his placid face.

He only shrugged before answering. "They hurt my boyfriend. So I had to go all Jackie Chan on their asses." Dave smirked a bit.

You gripped his shirt tighter before practically dragging him out of the office, mumbling under your breath as you looked back at him, narrowing your eyes. As you got to the car, you pushed him towards it and crossed your arms over your chest. "You're not seeing John today, tomorrow, or for the rest of the week."

This made him freeze and turn around slowly to face you. "Y-you can't…d-do that." He looked down at his shoes but didn't make any attempts to argue as he climbed into the beaten up truck that you had somehow managed to afford two years prior.

"Well, I just did." Your satisfied smirk faded as Dave's willowy frame began trembling. With a flourished sigh, you set a hand on his shoulder. "I thought cool kids didn't cry."

"They do when you're being an asshole." He mumbled under his breath, turning to face the window and shoving your hand off of him.

You sighed again, louder this time out of aggravation. "Listen you little shit, if you wanted to see John anytime soon, you shouldn't have beaten up those kids." A little bit of the natural Texan twang you both carried slid fluidly through your words as you started the engine and pulled out of the spot.

"They almost killed him!" He threw his hands into the air, disturbing his shades enough to nearly knock them off his face.

You raised an eyebrow at him. "Then you should have called someone. Do the police sound familiar?"

"The police wouldn't do jackshit. You know they shot him because he's…gay. It's more likely that they would try to throw John in jail instead of those idiots." His fists clenched slowly, breaths coming out shakily.

== Hours earlier but not many

== Be pissed off Dave

They were never going to touch John again, and god damn it you'd make sure of it.


	4. Chapter 4

You didn't want to get up, John was so comfortable that sometimes you thought he was part teddy bear. He wasn't but that didn't stop you from checking several times. Around 6 in the morning, you were dragged half asleep from the bed, shades forced over your eyes. You groaned and made an attempt to crawl back John's arms, but it wasn't like Bro would let you off that easily.

"_Bro,_" you dragged out the word as he kept his tight grip on you. "C'mon, I don't wanna go. You know how Mrs. Pyrope gets!"

He visibly rolled his eyes behind his shades before replying. "I don't give a fuckin' damn about how your teachers get. You're going to school, Striders don't get to fail their classes."

"Ugh." You knew there was no use in arguing but it was worth a shot, right? You walked into the bathroom before realizing that you didn't have anything to change into. Well it wasn't like you _expected_ your boyfriend to end up in a goddamn hospital. You're not that good at predictions, although you wish you were; it would have made things much easier, maybe this wouldn't have happened in the first place. So, you stepped out of the bathroom only to glower at your smug guardian. "Do I really have to?"

He nodded again. Dickhead. You sighed as you were tugged by the arm out of the room, sparing a glance at John as you did so. Bro yanked you out of the room and to the rusted crap of a car. Again, you groaned because you are a whiny little bitch. You sunk into the seat, tugging out your phone. Silently tapping at the blank screen, you glared at the side of Bro's head until he looked over at you and smacked at the back of his head. "Don't be such an angsty teenager. I raised you to be better than that." He chuckled under his breath.

"You didn't raise me very well then," You mumbled under your breath, not even bothering to look back over at him as you turned to face the window. You quietly watched as cars rolled lazily by until cracks of thunder awoke in the sky. Soon, rain was pouring down and quietly trickling through the small crack between the window and the car frame. Your fingers carefully traced the lines of water, lip caught between your teeth.

As Bro pulled up to the nearly desolate school building, you pulled your hood over your head. Because even if it didn't have any product, a Striders hair had to be protected. Giving a light wave behind you as you climbed out, you walked towards the hulking form of glass and brick ahead. Loud noises that sounded suspiciously like an old man coughing erupted from behind you as the car pulled away and tore down the street. Where was Dirk? If you had to guess you'd say he was doing his hair. Lucky shit. During your waiting, you pondered the usefulness of texting John although more likely than not, he was still asleep. Did he even have his phone? Ah fuck it.

**TG: hey babe**

**TG: aight so i know youre probably passed out**

**TG: drooling over that piece of shit pillow**

**TG: but like i just wanna say**

**TG: youre pretty fucking adorable when youre sleeping**

**TG: keep that comment bc you aint getting another**

**TG: jk**

**TG: time to go to hell**

**TG: aka school**

**TG: bye**

Just as you tucked your phone carefully into your pocket, Dirk came walking over like he owned the fucking place. Which was a lie because he couldn't if he tried. The two of you nodded at each other before stepping into the burning pits (pun intended) of hell.

Once you had gotten inside, stopping quickly at your locker to drop your bag in and grabbing your things, you noticed a group of the so-called popular kids (the ones whose parents were rich enough to buy the school if they wanted to) staring at you. Why would they be paying any sort of attention to…oh. Oh _hell _no. The shorter one smirked at you before turning back to the nerdy guy and murmuring something in his ear. You quickly turned to see where Dirk was, talking to Jake and that Roxy chick, before walking over to the group.

"You dickfaces." Your hands curled at your sides as you glared at every member of that stupid goddamn group. Although they couldn't see it behind the darkness of your shades.

One of them, a bone-thin African American girl who you think was related to your librarian Ms. Serket, had the audacity to burst into laughter. "Well that's no way to treat a lady." She was practically purring and holy fuck you hated her already. "Besides, you have absolutely _no_ evidence that we were the ones who did that terrible thing to little ole' Johnny boy." A smirk curled on her blue coated lips.

"Besides," a nasaly voice belonging to one Eridan Ampora spoke from behind you, "why would we want to come in contact with that gross little _fag _of yours, hm?"

"Oh that's fucking it," You mumbled under your breath. Before you could fully realize it, your fist was coming into contact with a nose and knocking off the glasses on them. Blood trickled down onto your hand as he yelped, immediately covering the obviously broken extremity. A small smile awoke on your face as the rest of the group surrounded the two of you, watching with eager eyes. But you weren't having any of it. You quickly pushed past Vantas and Makara and walked straight to the bathroom, washing off your hands.

Just as you began to settle into first period, the intercom blared out your name and sent you to the office. You didn't think they would get to you that fast, or at all really. You carefully stepped into the main room, where the secretary pointed to the principal's office. Dirk was going to be pissed.

You quietly sat down in front of Ms. Peixes desk, glancing over at the bloody nosed dickwad. He glared at you but didn't say anything. This made you hold back a laugh because you, Dave Strider, had somehow managed to make gossiper extraordinaire Eridan Ampora shut up. Call the press, get this on the front page of every news website ever. This was pretty big news if you said so yourself.

That didn't lessen the state of overwhelming anxiety you were feeling. You had done some pretty stupid shit in the past, that you would admit, but not enough to get sent to the princibitches office. As she strolled into the office and sat down, big braids swinging behind her like they did not care, you gulped.

"Now, a little fishy told me that one of y'all started hitting each other in the hallway. Is that true?"

And in true Ampora fashion, fingers were pointed at you and stammered accusations flew past. Jesus Christ could this guy ever shut up? Doubtful, considering how much he was sputtering and complaining. "…and he just came up and hit me, an' I didn't do nothing to provoke him or anythin'!"

You sighed loudly as he continued, lie after lie about how you kicked him when he was down or some crap like that. When the pair finally turned to you, Eridans eyes bright with fake flames and Ms. Peixes with boredom, you sat up a bit straighter. "Well, that was a load of crap…"

== Be someone else, we already know what happened!

== Be Jake

You were really beginning to like this Strider fellow.


	5. Chapter 5

Following several fairly long hours of waiting to see when your beloved cousin would be coming home, the unholy amount of medicines he would endure, and of course, doing your homework, you were taken back home. And while the shades unnerved you quite a bit (you wouldn't want to get into a car crash while with him), you found yourself opening up to him a bit more. Well, more than a little bit. You told him about what you did as a child, how you and your grandmother would go around the world to travel and find things to explore and, in some cases, discover.

The thing was, he didn't seemed bored or annoyed by you at all! Okay, he didn't seem to feel anything but sometimes if you were lucky you could get him to smile just the tiniest bit. And then when he introduced you to his friend Roxy, you had just about died. Two friends that weren't related to you in less than a week?! That had to be some sort of record, you hadn't had any sort of friendship with someone of your own age ever since your cousin Jane moved away to attend some fancy smancy boarding school on the other side of the flipping world. Not that you were bitter or anything, that girl was brilliant and deserved to go. So, you would have some "bro time" with her younger brother John that usually involved a crap ton of wonderful movies and a boatload of popcorn. Soon he too abandoned you to hang out with his best bro turned boyfriend Dave Strider. You couldn't spend time with your own sibling Jade because she was always with a group of oddly named fellows and one Rose Lalonde.

Most of your time was spent alone in an empty house since you hadn't been enrolled in the local school quite yet and all this emptiness just got so, so tiring. Moral of this little tale, you took a lot of naps.

A week into your adventure in Texas was your first day of school. It was rather eventful if you said so yourself. But for some godforsaken reason, a group of girls (and a few boys) followed you everywhere! You just couldn't shake them unless you were out of the classroom during class. Which, in fact, was what you were doing when you almost heard Dirk Strider speak for the second time that day.

You had been called down to the main office over the intercom and were walking down the empty hallway only to discover that it wasn't empty. Mr. Strider was conversing with a frazzled boy who could practically be his twin, that is if it weren't for the sunglasses, hair, and lack of freckles. When you voiced your question, the pair turned to you with matching raised eyebrows before the younger looking blond dragged him away. You stood there for a moment before turning down another hall, eventually ending up at the office. As you stepped inside, confusion filled your very soul. There was no one in there! You murmured quite a few curse words that would have gotten you soap in your mouth if you were in the Egbert household.

You plopped yourself down in a chair and waited until someone, anyone really, could come back and tell you what the flipping hell was going on. As you tapped absent mindedly on the side of your chair, your cell phone began vibrating in your back pocket. Who the fuck would be calling you at this hour of the day? It's not like you had anyone who would, in fact, call you. You dug out the device and rose a dark eyebrow at the bright screen, quickly scanning through the message.

**DAD: How is your first day of school? Do you want me to bring cake for you and your classmates? How is John doing? Are all your classmates being kind to you?**

With a quiet sigh, you began typing out a reply:

**GT: just dandy!**

**GT: I actually dont have the clue as to where your son is, sadly**

==Jake: Go outside

Well mysterious text, that's what you were planning on doing! You step out of the room and continue your previous journey of going down the hallway until you reach a door. Once you had it pushed open though, you wish that you hadn't even left the classroom. A lone ambulance surrounded by a few police cars and people filled your field of vision. Did your eyes deceive you, or was that really your cousin that you saw? Oh shit.

== Skip to the hospital room

Hours upon hours had passed before you were allowed into the room and even _then _you can't see your ailed cousin because he's being surrounded by his other friends. So, instead of fighting with them, you decide to stand in the back with the more spiky-haired Strider. The two of you talked and talked long after the girls had left and even when Dave had kicked you out. There wasn't a specific topic of conversation, it often changed and changed again every couple of minutes. Sometimes you would talk about the absolute _brilliance _of all your favorite movies, sometimes he would tell you about his whole robotics deal and complete unironic love for the childrens show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. You laughed and told him that you would watch it later and his lip curled in a way that could almost be interpreted as a smile. For some reason, that made you really happy.

== School Hallway

Oh! Right. The very next day when you arrived at the school building (after a long, tiring talk about safety from John's father) Dirk wasn't waiting for you; or maybe he was and you couldn't see him yet. You finally saw him as he was leading his younger brother inside but couldn't see him for long as you were promptly captured by another tall blonde.

Maybe you should think of a better word. You weren't captured, just marched forcefully into the building. Once Dirk's eyes had landed on you and the mysterious female, a pale eyebrow raised over his dark lenses. He stepped over and looked at the girl who immediately began going off in an elaborate and dramatic display.

"How could you cheat on me Dirky? I thought what we had was special!" She fell over your shoulder in body shaking sobs.

"What can I say Ro-lal? I like ass." He replied in a deadpan voice. Even she couldn't help but laugh, picking herself up and holding out a hand to you. You must have not been moving at a place that pleased her since she sighed and picked up your hand, shaking it firmly.

"Here in Texas, we call this a _hand shake_." She grinned and dropped your hand, waiting for a reaction.

"Oh! Pleasure to meet you Miss Roxy. The names English, Jake English." You shot her with double pistols and a wink causing Dirk to scoff and roll his eyes, or you at least assumed he rolled his eyes.

The three of you shared delightful conversation that all ended with Dirk putting his hand on your shoulder and pointing at a group of younger boys behind you engaging in a round of strifing.

"That shithead." He snarled.


End file.
